1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of treating patients having microbial infections.
2. Description of the Background Art
The broad use of antibiotics significantly influences multi-resistance of microorganisms, and has greatly increased the number of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms.
Antibiotic-resistant strains of Enterococci such as vancomycin-resistant strains of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), as well as antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococci such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can cause severe nosocomial infections and diarrhea. Common nosocomial infections in intensive care units are pneumonia, urinary tract infections, septicemia, catheter-sepsis and postoperative wound infections.
Antibiotic-resistant microorganisms are increasingly associated with severe morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients, particularly among patients with VRE colonizations in long-term care facilities and in those returning to community care, which now present a major public health threat.
Management of life-threatening infections caused by antibiotic-resistant strains is particularly difficult, as the range of therapeutic options is very limited. There is a rapid increase in incidences of nosocomial infection and colonization with vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) throughout the whole world. Treatment options presently are combinations of antibiotics or experimental substances with uncertain efficacy. The potential emergence of vancomycin resistance in clinical isolates of S. aureus is dangerous. Successful prevention is necessary to prevent person-to-person transmission of VRE.
The compounds Taurolidine (Taurolin.RTM.) and Taurultam are known antimicrobial substances with broad-spectrum activity against aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, mycobacteria and fungi. Unlike antibiotics, these compounds do not result in release of large quantities of bacterial toxins. They have been suggested as a substitute for antibiotics for administration in patients locally, by injection or by infusion, to combat infections of the teeth and jaw, wound infections, osteitis, endotoxaemia, peritonitis, sepsis and septic shock. However, it is known that these compounds have a short half-life in vivo and they never have been suggested for treatment of infections of the gut.
There remains an urgent need in the art for improved methods of treating patients with microbial antibiotic-multiresistant infections, including gut infections.